Kashmir an important issue between India-Pakistan: US

Washington, Jun.10 (ANI): The United States has acknowledged that the long-standing Kashmir dispute was an important issue between India and Pakistan.

"I think all I will say is that we recognise that this is a very important issue between India and Pakistan," The Daily Times quoted Assistant Secretary of State Philip Crowley , as saying during a regular briefing.

Earlier, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Robert Blake had pointed out that the US has always been interested in establishing peace between the two South Asian neighbours, and stressed Islamabad must first take substantial action against the perpetrators of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks and also reign in India centric militant organisations such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), before the Indo- Pak peace talks can be resumed.

Blake also made it clear that the while the settlement of the Kashmir issue was important, it was imperative for Islamabad to speed up the trial of the Mumbai attack conspirators, who are currently in custody of the Pakistani authorities.

"I don't think Kashmir is really the question that's on the table now. The real question right now is to first get some progress on the trial of the Mumbai suspects, those who are already in custody in Pakistan," Blake had said in response to a question as to what the White House has been doing to help the two sides resolve the Kashmir dispute.

"And also from the Indian perspective to see progress by Pakistan on stopping actions by Lashkar-e-Taiba and other Punjab-based terrorist groups against India," he added.

These two, he said, were "really the redlines" for re-establishing the composite dialogue between India and Pakistan, Blake said. (ANI)